Soap Opera Playing Out on Main Street

If any of you watch soap operas, save yourself hours of TV viewing and just follow events in Harrison instead.

A prime example is the case of Sofia Saenz v. three Harrison police officers and the Harrison Police Department (HPD) that was recently heard in White Plains Federal Court. The charges and background story could have been pulled straight from “As the World Turns."

The story began several years ago when a married Harrison police officer, Ralph Tancredi, began a long and troubled second romantic relationship with Sofia Saenz, then an illegal alien from Peru.

Their ongoing relationship difficulties spilled over into Tancredi’s professional life. According to retired HPD Det. Richard Light, there were allegations that Tancredi—at that time the president of the PBA—used the union credit card to fund romantic outings with Saenz, including a trip to Disneyland.

 There were also allegations of domestic violence. During a period when Saenz and Tancredi had broken up, Saenz began dating Joshua Clark. Soon after, police were called to a disturbance outside Annie Café on Harrison Avenue, where Saenz worked. Allegedly Tancredi slapped Clark who responded by threatening Tancredi with a bat.

 Charges were filed against Tancredi and he was suspended from duty.

 In true soap opera style, Tancredi claimed the charges were payback for having sued the police chief the year before after finding a surveillance camera in the HPD locker room. That incident would result in 13 lawsuits against the HPD.

 Tancredi would go on to file four different lawsuits against the HPD. All four cases were dismissed. Tancredi was then fired in 2009 for being involved in yet another fight and lying on a police report, according to Light. The firing was highly acrimonious, with Tancredi aggressively fighting the process.

 But let’s get back to Saenz.

Following the incident outside Annie’s Café, Saenz filed an order of protection against Tancredi, alleging a long history of physical and emotional abuse. Her allegations—detailed in a videotaped statement over an hour in length—included Tancredi stalking her, calling Clark to say he and Saenz were having sexual relations, ripping her clothing and forcibly taking her car leaving her stranded.

However, the script became even more complicated when the case was about to be heard.

Prior to prosecution of the case, Saenz and Tancredi reconciled as a couple, eventually marrying. Prosecutors were forced to drop the charges against Tancredi when Saenz refused to cooperate in the prosecution.

And the story doesn’t stop there.

Saenz, now Tancredi’s wife, filed charges alleging that the three Harrison officers—Det. Richard Light and Officers Mark DiGiacomo and Edward Lucas—had forcibly held her and pressured her to sign the protection order by threatening her with deportation. Saenz now claimed that they had done so in order to discredit Tancredi, backing up what Tancredi had claimed at the time of the incident.

Tancredi accompanied Saenz to the hearing two weeks ago. According to Light, Tancredi was admonished by the judge for giving signals and mouthing responses to Saenz to prompt her during her testimony.

As with Tancredi’s four lawsuits, the suit brought by Saenz was dismissed.

Tancredi’s difficulties with the force have continued after his firing. In 2010 he was for flashing a fake police identification card during an altercation outside a bar.

“Days of Our Lives” has nothing on us.